Blogging basics: How to master social media

Jessica Watson is a mom to five, four in her arms and one in her heart. She lives in Michigan where her life is as unpredictable as the weather. After the loss of her infant daughter in 2007, Jessica left the corporate world behind, vowe...

Juggling social media with style

If you're a blogger, you may find yourself shuddering at the thought of figuring out one more form of social media. You don't have to master them all, just learn a few basics of each and you will be set!

Trying to master the world of social media as a blogger can leave your head spinning. There are more social media platforms than there are hours in the day, and if you try to learn every single one, you'll find yourself overwhelmed and underproductive.

If you'd like to get the most out of social media, pick a few different platforms, work on your knowledge of each one, and then try these tips to promote your blog with the least amount of work.

Facebook

If you are a blogger and you don't have a Facebook page for your blog, now is the time to create one. The more you blog, the more you will want to share your posts and establish a fan base. Your friends and family may love what you write, but constantly sharing your blog posts in your Facebook feed may begin to get old to even your closest friends.

Upload an image to your Facebook page that is consistent with your blog. Share your own posts and also your favorite posts from other blogs. Posting clever status updates or your favorite quotes are great ways to keep your fan base growing, just make sure not to post too often and overwhelm your fans.

Google Plus

Google Plus is quickly becoming a front-runner in the social media world. More and more bloggers are turning to Google Plus to promote and share their work and connect with each other. Sharing your posts on Google Plus is essential to making sure that your blog comes up in Google searches, so make sure you create a Google Plus profile and post your new entries there as you create them.

Interact with others on Google Plus as well, giving them +1s when you enjoy their content, adding them to your "circles" so you can keep up with what they're doing, and hoping they do the same for you. Just be patient with yourself. Google Plus is new to everyone in social media — it may seem like a foreign language at first, but you'll get the hang of it before you know it.

Twitter

Although Twitter can be overwhelming when you first begin, it is one of the easiest platforms to reach a large number of people you would not otherwise interact with. Start slowly, adding other bloggers you know and love. Have conversations with them to help build your relationships. On Twitter it is perfectly acceptable to share your blog posts several times, since the platform tends to move fast and your last tweet may get buried quickly.

The most important thing you can do on Twitter is just put yourself out there. Connect with people you would like to talk with and let your blog and your personality shine in your tweets.

Pulling it all together

There are several shortcuts to managing your social media profiles. You can connect your Facebook page and Twitter accounts so that anything you post to your page also shows up on Twitter, and vice versa. This will maximize your time and effort.

You can also try an application such as Buffer to help schedule and manage your social media sharing.

No matter what you try, just remember you can't be everywhere and do everything. Take social media one program at a time, and use what appeals to you and your audience most. Before you know it you will be a social media whiz!